I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You
by ShadowDragon-24
Summary: Ed and Al return from the other side of The Gate four months after they left. They decide to go straight to Resembol...But that doesn't necessarily mean they're themselves...and, if that's the case...who are they? EdWin COMPLETE!
1. Keepin' It On The DL

_**I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You**_

**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own FMA In Anyway.

**Rating:** PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N:** Wow, I've been on a writing _frenzy _lately! X3 Hope you enjoy! By the way, this takes place at least four months after the movie :)

F----------------M----------------A

_**Central**_

The morning was just beginning.

And, in the middle of the town square, lay two bodies.

One lay on his stomach as the other lay on his back.

The one on his back had bronze hair, was wearing a long red coat over black clothes. A hand was over his stomach and the other was at his side. His breathing was steady but nervous as well.

The one on his stomach had golden hair tied back in a high ponytail, was wearing a white button-up shirt with a brown vest over that and matching brown pants and shoes. One hand was next to his face as the other was to his side. His breathing was like that of the body next to him.

Had anyone been walking around, they could easily tell that these were the legendary Elric brother's.

How they had gotten there, no one could tell. Nor did the two brothers' know; then again, they didn't even know they were in the middle of the street of Central's town square.

Suddenly, the elder Elric began shifting painfully. The hand at the side of his face moved into a fist and he forced his other hand to his side as well. Slowly and carefully, he forced himself to his knees, bringing a hand to his slightly sore head.

He shrugged and growled excruciatingly. "Ouch" he muttered. He looked up to investigate his surroundings. The eighteen year-old then looked to his right and his widened at the sight before him; it was Central's Military Base.

"It…it can't be" he mumbled nervously. Quickly, he looked around for his brother and found him lying next to him.

Hastily, he placed a hand on the younger Elric's shoulder and began shaking him gently. "Al, wake up!" he demanded.

Al smiled and turned over on his side. "Why I'd love another cookie, thank you" he mumbled contently. (**A/N:** I couldn't resist! X3)

Ed's eyes widened, surprised at his younger brother. He shook his head and forced Al in his back once more. Then he grabbed the younger by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in front of him. "Al, wake up! This is serious!" he ordered once more, slapping Al across the face with his flesh hand.

Al immediately woke up and looked around. "What the hell? What happened?" he asked nervously and then looked up at his glaring brother. "Brother? What happened?" he asked curiously.

"We're in Central, that's what happened!" Ed replied heatedly.

"_What!?_" Al asked, obviously shocked.

Ed let Al go and stood up. "Look for yourself" he commanded as he looked to the Military Base once more.

The younger Elric sat up and looked to the base. His eyes widened anxiously.

Ed then looked back to Al. "What did you do, Al?" he bravely accused his younger sibling.

"_Me_!? What the heck are you talking about, I didn't do anything!" Al pointed out.

"And, what, you think it was_ me_!?" Ed asked as he offered his hand to Al.

The younger Elric gave him an annoyed look and responded as Ed helped him to his feet. "Well, who else would it be!?" he asked him.

"I don't know! But it wasn't me!" Ed explained s he looked back to the Military Base.

Al sighed. "It doesn't matter; obviously we were brought back and we should just be grateful and take advantage" he told his brother.

"How?" Ed asked incredulously as he looked, once again, to his sibling.

"Uh, going back home!" Al replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You know, I'm sure Winry would be happy to see us" he explained.

Ed's eyes widened at the mention of the Rockbell mechanic. "No!" he replied finally.

"What? Have you lost your mind, why not?" the younger Elric asked, skeptically, as he crossed his arms.

"Winry doesn't have to know anything and neither does anyone else!" Ed replied.

Al looked at him curiously. "What…what do you mean?" he asked inquisitively.

"No one will know; it'll be as if we never came back to this world" Ed replied. "We'll change our identities completely and no one will know; especially not Winry" he explained.

Al's eyes saddened. "But…why not?" he asked sadly; obviously he had been excited about seeing Winry again.

"It's complicated, Al" Ed explained plainly. "C'mon, I'm sure people are about to start waking up; we should get started on changing our identities" he said and began walking off.

Al had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach but went along with it, anxiously, and followed his elder brother, unsure of what would happen next.

F----------------M----------------A

Later that day, two young men boarded a train headed for Resembol.

One of them had dark, but not black, hair tied back in a low ponytail and a pair of hazel eyes. He was wearing an olive-green button-up shirt with brown pants and shoes. His name was Devon Hanson, a.k.a. Alphonse Elric.

The other had black hair, loosened completely, and darker hazel eyes. He was wearing a white button-up shirt with a black vest over that and black pants and shoes. His name was Jack Hanson, a.k.a Edward Elric.

The two sat down at the nearest booth and awaited the train's departure.

"Jack?" Devon asked, feeling rather strange calling his brother by another name.

'Jack' shrugged, indicating 'Devon' speak.

"Why Resembol?" Devon asked.

"Because" Jack began. "If we're back, we might as well live in our hometown" he explained.

"But, what about Winry?" Devon asked curiously.

Jack shrugged, somewhat sadly.

"We stay as far away from her as possible"

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N: **Tell me what you think, guys! I need to know whether or not I should continue this! So, go ahead, R&R, please!

By the way, Ed and Al will be going under those names; even when, for example, as you just saw it:

"_What?" Jack asked._

That is how it will be; I don't want to confuse anyone so I decided with it to be like that, so make sure to memorize which name goes with whom! Unless they reveal themselves (which is for me to know and you guys to find out X3) would be the only time it would change :) Again, please R&R, constructive criticism, no flames :) thanks!

By the way, this _will_ be an EdWin fic ;) I know it doesn't show too much now, but it will! ;)


	2. Semi Perfect

_**I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You**_

**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own FMA In Anyway.

**Rating:** PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N: **Thanks for your reviews and alerts, guys:) Here's chapter 2! ;)

F----------------M----------------A

The Hanson brother's had finally reached Resembol later that day, in the late afternoon.

Jack had then told his brother that they needed to find a new home.

"How about we transmute one?" Devon had asked curiously.

Jack thought for a moment and agreed; it would be easier than looking for the semi-perfect home.

The two had chosen a nice spot, it was next to the dirt road that led into town and was far enough from Winry's home, Jack had noted.

In response, Devon had shrugged and returned to the spot of their soon-to-be new home.

"We need _lots_ of supplies to make the house properly; Equalivalent Exchange, after all" Devon told his elder.

Jack looked at the spot and then became questionable. "Maybe we should try and looking for a house instead" he told his sibling.

Devon looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Why?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know where to find supplies except…" Jack trailed off for a moment and thought.

"Except…what?" Devon asked intriguingly.

Jack looked down for a moment. "Winry's the only one who ever has scraps that we could use, but…" his voice trailed off once again.

Devon crossed his arms. "But you don't want to make any contact whatsoever, right?" he asked, some scorn in his voice.

"Exactly" Jack replied as he looked away.

"This is exactly why this whole thing was a bad idea, brother!" Devon argued angrily. "Why don't you want anyone to know that we're here!?" he demanded.

Jack shrugged and looked to the ground. "I don't want to cause Winry, or anyone else, anymore pain; like I said, it'll be as if we never came back" he explained.

Devon widened, sadly but understandingly. "I see" he said quietly. "Well, what if we just ask; we'll just say we're new to town and need supplies to make our house, I'm sure she won't mind" he suggested.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know…" he muttered as he crossed is arms and looked away.

They continued to think for a while before finally coming to a decision.

F----------------M----------------A

The Rockbell home was silent that afternoon.

Pinako Rockbell was taking a long nap upstairs in her bedroom.

Winry was sitting at the table that sat in front of a window which looked down the dirt path that led to town. She was drawing up a new Automail design.

Den, the young mechanic's dog, was resting at her feet.

Winry erased a small mistake on the drawing and continued. After a few more modifications, the design was almost complete. She gave a sigh of relief as she looked at the more or less finished blueprint; she felt it would be her best work yet. It still needed some planning but she could manage.

She smiled at it proudly before putting down her pencil and looking out the window before her. She squinted curiously as she saw two figures walking down the dirt rod that led to her home.

_Who are they?_ She asked herself curiously. The blonde then saw the two stop in front of a certain spot and look down at it, almost as if they were making plans for the spot. Eventually, it escalated a little further and the two had a brief argument. After a few moments of thought between them, one with black hair began walking towards her home.

Winry continued to look at him curiously.

As he neared, Den suddenly cocked her head up and looked to the door. She barked and looked up at her owner.

Winry jumped slightly and looked down at her pet. "What's wrong girl? Is he bad?" she asked worriedly.

The dog stood up and barked playfully as she ran to the door and began scratching it carefully, looking up at the knob; knowing very well that that was what allowed the door to open.

Winry walked up to the door. Just before she could open, it knocked about three times. The mechanic's eyes widened and she carefully opened the door to the young man she had seen walking to her home.

The onyx-haired young man, looking to be in his late teens at least, smiled at her kindly and waved slightly.

"Hi there, I—oof!" he was stopped as Den ran over and jumped on him, forcing him to his back with Den atop of him.

Den panted happily and licked the young man's face. He smiled happily to the face-licking.

Winry smiled and laughed but immediately came to the mysterious young man's assistance. "I'm so sorry!" she quickly apologized, forcing Den off the teen "She's usually not so optimistic towards strangers" she explained.

"Hehe, don't worry about it" the young man understood.

Winry then offered her hand to him to help him up; she noted how this young man had his hair styled the same as her old childhood friend, Edward Elric. The only difference was the color and the fact that this young man had it loose instead of tied back. Nonetheless, it brought back memories.

He looked up at her but his smile faded as his eyes met with hers. _Winry_ he thought anxiously. He shook his head and took the girl's hand in his left one.

"My name is Winry Rockbell; one of the Automail mechanic's here in Resembol" Winry said happily as he stood to his feet. "How can I help you?" she asked kindly.

He stared at her for a few moments, shortly becoming dumbstruck, and then snapping out of it. "My name is E…Jack Hanson, I mean" he smiled at the girl nervously and then continued. "My younger brother, A…Devon and me and, are new here and were planning to build our home instead of looking for one" he explained, trying his best t sound as if he had never met Winry in his life.

Winry cocked her head to the side curiously.

"And we were wondering…actually, hoping…would you happen to have any scrap pieces of…well, whatever, that we could possibly take off your hands and use?" Jack asked anxiously.

Winry thought for a moment before replying. "Actually…I _do _have many pieces of scrap metal and wood I was going to get rid of…I'm sure you and your brother can put it to better use, though" she smiled at him.

"That's great!" Jack said enthusiastically.

"Before I give it to you though" Winry began once more. "I'd like to ask you something" her voice became low and serious.

Jack's eyes widened curiously. "Yes?" he obliged, nonetheless.

Winry looked up at the young man in front of her; he looked like Edward. Did he know Edward? Could he _be _Edward? Or did he just happen to look like him? "Do you" she began. "Know someone by the name of…" she felt somewhat foolish asking but continued. "Edward Elric?" she finished.

Jack's eyes widened, but not long enough for Winry to notice. "Edward Elric? I'm sorry, but no; I've only heard rumors of him, nothing more, really" he replied, making sure to sound official and hide his edginess.

Winry's eyes drooped sadly. "I see" she said. "Thank you, nonetheless" she said, trying to sound grateful as she looked up at him with a forced smile.

Jack forced out any negative thoughts from his mind and smiled a little himself. "Could you please point me in the direction of those scraps?" he asked.

Winry widened her eyes a bit; she had almost completely forgotten about her promised bargain with the dark hazel-eyed young man. "Of course, I'm so sorry" she said apologetically and led him off to the back of the house, where she had been storing her pieces of unused metal and wood in the basement and shed.

Jack looked over the amount of supplies; he was pleased to see that there was _more_ than enough to use and build his home, seeing most of it would act as the skeleton of the home. The rest of the house would consist of transmuted dirt and some of the scrap pieces as well.

"Winry, I don't know how we can thank you for this" Jack said, gratefully, to the blonde mechanic.

"Well, seeing as it's just you and your brother, how about I ask some of the townspeople to help you build your home?" Winry offered.

Jack picked up a box full of supplies. "That won't be necessary" he replied, with a smile. "I'm just gonna tell A…Devon that we need to bring supplies over to that spot where we decided to build our house" he explained, faltering as he did earlier.

"Why don't you need any one?" Winry asked curiously.

Jack winked playfully at her. "You'll see" he said and then walked off towards his younger brother. He couldn't believe he just winked at her. But, hell, what did it matter? She didn't know his true identity; he was starting anew. Maybe a new personality wouldn't hurt too much, either.

Winry felt her cheeks warm up slightly at his wink but she brushed it off as nothing but her female hormones acting up.

Winry watched as Jack walked off to his younger sibling. He told him something and Devon smiled victoriously.

Soon, the two were bringing boxes full of supplies towards the spot of their home until they felt they had enough.

Can you say two-hundred large boxes?

Not to mention a few large pieces that had to be carried by hand by _both_ brothers'. They had finished as the Sun was commencing to set.

Out of breath, and feeling out of their _minds_ for carrying so much, the two Hanson's stood in front of all the supplies.

Jack finally caught his breath and stood upright, drying some sweat on his forehead with his sleeve. "OK…That's _officially_ on my list of things I _never_ want to do again…_EVER!_" he complained angrily.

"You're not…alone…" Devon said, still slightly out of breath. After a little bit longer, he finally stood upright next to his brother.

The two looked at the area in front of them.

They didn't even realize as Winry silently came over and watched the two, willing to see _how_ they planned to build a house with no one's assistance.

"Ready?" Jack asked as he looked to his sibling.

"Ready!" Devon assured. They looked forward before beginning.

Winry eyes widened at their next action; they, simultaneously, clapped their hands together, causing an unforgettable sound to ring in her ears.

The brother's placed their hands on the ground and, immediately after, the bright blue light of a transmutation took place.

After a minute or so, the light began to die down.

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N: **Longer chapter, I think :P I tried to move it along less quickly than my last chapter :) Please, R&R, constructive criticism, no flames, thanks! ;)


	3. Invite

_**I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You**_

**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own FMA In Anyway.

**Rating:** PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N: **:) Chapter 3! Hope you like!

F----------------M----------------A

Winry looked at what the two Hanson's had created; it was a lovely two-story home, much like her own except it didn't have any color except for that of the mix of wood and metal. She carefully walked closer to them and stared.

"How did you do that?" she asked as she looked at Jack nervously.

The elder Hanson jumped as he heard her voice but looked over at her and managed a smile, as did Devon as he looked over at her.

"It was Alchemy" Jack replied, hoping that would be enough.

"I know it was Alchemy but…the way you did it…it was just the way Edward Elric did his Alchemy!" Winry said, some anger hinted in her voice.

Devon's eyes widened and he glared at his brother. "What the hell did you tell her!?" he whispered, heatedly.

"Nothing!" Jack replied nervously.

"Not many people can do Alchemy by just clapping their hands" Winry stated. "Are you sure you've never met Edward?" she practically had demanded it.

"I told you, Winry; I've only heard rumors of him. I swear, I know nothing more than of what I've heard" Jack told the mechanic tensely.

Winry looked at him strictly but sighed and looked away. "Fine" she told him. "Welcome to Resembol" she said scornfully before turning on a heel and walking off towards her home once more.

Jack and Devon's breathing was somewhat uneven at the ordeal but managed to turn back towards each other.

"That was _too_ close" Jack told his sibling.

Devon shrugged in response and turned back to the house they had built. "We have to paint it" he stated.

Jack widened his eyes and turned to the home as well. "You're right" he agreed.

"What color?"

F----------------M----------------A

Winry stomped off back home, not caring to look back to the two brothers. She had noted that Devon looked a lot like Al but brushed it off as another coincidence, seeing as Jack seemed to know little to nothing of Edward.

_Maybe I should just get over it _she thought. _Ed left four months ago; if I keep thinking about him, the worse it's gonna get _the mechanic told herself. She sighed and continued to her home; tonight was her night to cook dinner for her grandmother and herself. She didn't want to keep her grandmother waiting too long.

As she reached the home, she opened the door to a cheery black and white dog. "Hey Den" she greeted her pet, trying to sound happy herself. She walked deeper into the house, reaching the living room. She saw her grandmother sitting on the sofa, smoking a pipe, as usual, and reading a newspaper.

"Hello dear" the elder woman greeted. "Where have you been?" she asked, putting down her paper and looking to her granddaughter.

"I was just welcoming some newcomers who moved in today" Winry replied quietly.

"Who were they?" Pinako asked curiously.

"They're brother's; Jack and Devon Hanson" The blonde mechanic explained as she took a seat in the sofa next to her grandmother.

"Brothers, eh? I'll be sure to meet them tomorrow" Pinako said in her plain voice.

"Granny?" Winry asked anxiously.

"Yes dear?" Pinako replied kindly.

Winry thought for a moment but decided against telling her grandmother of the brothers; of the fact that they looked so like the Elric's. "Nothing" she said finally.

Pinako took a puff from her pipe and hopped off the sofa. "You want me to make dinner?" she offered, obviously reading her granddaughter like an open book and feeling something was amiss.

Winry looked up at her grandmother and managed a small smile. "Of course not; I'll cook" she confirmed as she stood up.

Before Winry could enter the kitchen, she heard her grandmother say something. "Why don't you invite those brothers over? I'm sure their tired from moving around and, besides, I'd love to meet them"

The blonde mechanic's eyes widened but she agreed. "OK; I'll go tell them" she said silently. "I'll be back soon" she declared. She then indicated to her dog, Den, to come with her. The two left abruptly after.

F----------------M----------------A

Jack and Devon were in front of their home, planning out what color the thing should be.

"How about peach?" Devon asked.

Jack stuck his tongue out, obviously not liking the suggestion.

Devon looked at him, a little annoyed. "Well, what do _you_ think?" he asked him.

Jack went to reply but stopped and put a hand to his stomach.

"Brother?" Devon asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"My stomach's growling; I'm _starving!_" the elder Hanson explained.

Devon gave his brother an annoyed look again. "Is food the _only_ thing you think about?" he asked irately.

"Hey, _I'm_ not the one who was dreaming about people giving me a cookie!" Jack complained to his younger.

Devon though back for a moment, remembering the dream he was having when his brother had woken him up back in Central. He blushed and looked away, embarrassed. "Touché" he muttered.

Jack smiled victoriously.

Suddenly, the two heard steps coming their way. They looked simultaneously to see Winry and Den walking towards them.

Jack cocked up an eyebrow, curious as to why she had returned.

Den, the two brothers remembered the Automail-limbed dog, came running over and pounced on Devon.

The younger Hanson, obviously seeing it coming, braced himself and caught the dog in his arms. Den then began to lick his face thoroughly. Devon laughed at the gesture.

"Hey there, De"—Devon stopped short as Jack nudged him in the arm, indicating he shut up before he say something that could blow their cover.

Winry walked up to them, sighing slightly before speaking. "Hey guys" she said quietly.

"Hello Winry" Jack greeted.

Devon cleared his throat, loudly, as he put Den on the ground.

Jack looked at him and widened his eyes slightly. "I'm sorry, Winry, I never properly introduced you to my younger brother, A—I mean Devon!" he faltered quickly and looked away, nervously.

Winry looked at the younger and smiled. "Hello Devon, I'm Winry Rockbell" she told him kindly, once again noting how much this boy looked like Alphonse Elric.

The younger Hanson smiled in return. "Pleasure to meet you" the words sounded slightly struggled, as if it was difficult for him to say it.

"How may we help you, Winry?" Jack interjected curiously.

The blonde let out a breath and replied. "I told my grandmother about you two and she says she wants to meet you. She wanted me to invite you to dinner" she explained to the two brothers.

As if on cue, the two felt their stomachs growl and they placed a palm on their stomachs.

"Actually" Devon began. "That would be lovely; we're very hungry" he stated as he looked up at Winry.

The mechanic smiled at them both. "Well, c'mon" she insisted. "I'm cooking tonight" she began to walk off and the two brothers followed.

Jack glared at his sibling. "Are you an _idiot_!?" he demanded quietly so that only they could hear.

"What!?" Devon asked heatedly. "You and me both know we're hungry, so why not?" he asked is elder.

"Pinako will _surely_ find out who we are! That old hag is smarter than you think!" Jack replied. "And, besides, I said I wanted to stay _away_ from Winry!"

Devon looked at his elder fiercely. "Then you better hope she doesn't figure us out!" was his only reply. He then picked up his pace to get away from the older Hanson.

Jack huffed out a breath and continued walking.

Soon, the trio had made it to the house.

As Jack and Devon were about to walk in, Winry pulled Jack back by his, luckily for Jack, left arm. "I have to talk to you" she explained herself.

Jack let out a breath and obliged, quickly telling his sibling that he would come in a moment. He closed the door and, as the two stood on the porch, he waited for Winry to speak as he crossed his arms.

"Jack, I'm sorry about how I acted earlier; I'm just frustrated, I guess" Winry said apologetically.

The Hanson looked away sympathetically. "Don't worry about it; life's frustrating, I know" he understood.

"It's just" Winry began once more. "You look so much like Edward…he was a good friend of mine and you remind me of him"

Jack widened his eyes at the comment but recollected his thoughts. "_Was_?" he then asked curiously.

"He left four months ago; I haven't seen him since" Winry replied sadly.

Jack sighed. "It's OK" he said, trying to sound caring.

Winry looked up at him; their eyes met. "Even your eyes are like his…his were golden, though" she whispered and looked to the ground once more.

Jack brought his hand to her chin, forcing the mechanic to look up at him once more. "I'm sure he misses you" he said with a kind smile, not believing what he was doing as well.

Winry let out a breath and turned around. "Edward doesn't miss people" she said sadly. "People miss Edward"

Jack's eyes widened at what Winry had just told him. _Maybe this_ **was** _a bad idea_ Jack thought sorrowfully. _I'm bringing her more pain just by_ **looking** _like Ed—err, me_ he contemplated anxiously. He drooped his head down before having another idea of what to say.

He walked closer to her and placed his flesh hand on her shoulder, forcing Winry to face him once more. Placing both hands on her shoulders he looked into her eyes.

"How could someone _not_ miss you?" he asked, sarcastically but sensitively at once.

Winry looked at him with somewhat sad and happy eyes.

Jack cupped her left cheek. "I'm sure he misses you" he repeated before turning to go inside the house once more.

_He misses you alright _he thought, sadly, as he opened the door.

_More than you know…_

F---------------M----------------A

**A/N: **Chapter 3…pretty long O.o Oh well, hope you guys liked it:) Please, R&R, constructive criticism, no flames ;) Many thanks!


	4. Dinner's Ready

_**I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You**_

**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own FMA In Anyway.

**Rating:** PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N: **:)

F----------------M----------------A

Jack sighed and walked into the Rockbell home, leaving the door open so that Winry could enter as well.

Winry then entered after him, closing the door behind her and walking into the living room. She was managing a small smile, courtesy of Jack's kind words, but when she walked into the living room, her eyes widened, as did Pinako's

The elder Rockbell was in slight shock. "Winry?" she asked shakily.

"Yes, Granny?" Winry replied quickly.

The older woman looked to her granddaughter. "May I speak to you, alone, for a moment?" she asked the young blonde.

Winry swallowed a lump in her throat. "Sure" she agreed finally. She walked next to Jack. "Excuse us for a moment" she asked of him.

Jack nodded and smiled politely.

Winry smiled a bit and walked into the kitchen with her grandmother. Before she entered completely, she looked to the Hanson's. "Please, make yourselves comfortable; I insist"

The two brothers nodded before Winry disappeared into the kitchen with her grandmother.

"Granny?" Winry asked anxiously.

"Winry, why do those boys look so like the Elric brothers?" Pinako asked sternly, her arms crossed in front of her.

Winry looked down at her caretaker and looked away. "I'm not sure" she replied. "I asked Jack if he had known Ed but….he says he knows nothing except for rumors he's heard about him" she stated quietly.

Pinako shrugged. "I assume Jack is the black-haired one who looks like Edward, correct?" she asked.

Winry's shoulders tensed slightly. "Yes" she whispered.

The elder Rockbell growled faintly. "Something doesn't feel right" she said. "But _I_ won't bring myself into it; perhaps it's just a coincidence" she said, obviously brushing it off as nothing.

Winry shrugged, obviously not so easily convinced.

"Let's hope so" she thought.

"I'd for there to be another reason…"

F----------------A----------------A

After Winry and her grandmother walked into the kitchen, the two Hanson's began looking around the living room.

Devon walked about the light-yellow sofa's in the center of the room. A long, three-seated one in the middle and on either side of it was single-seated recliners. In front of the long sofa was a coffee table, about the same length as the sofa in front of it. Behind the sofa was the table, obviously the dinner table.

Jack inspected the tall bookcase that was up against a wall that was a few feet in front of the coffee table. The books mostly consisted of Automail; others lacked titles on the spine so he was unable to identify them.

It was exactly the same. Everything was exactly how it was when they were last here.

Of course, when they were known as the Elric's and not the Hanson's that is.

Jack looked at the ground and sighed quietly.

Devon, who was now at the staircase to the right of the room, apparently heard the exhale and looked up, worriedly, to his older brother. "What's wrong?" he asked worriment obviously in his voice.

Jack looked up and looked to his sibling. His eyes drooped and he averted to the ground once more. "…Al, I'm starting to think this was a bad idea" he said, quietly so that only he and his younger could hear.

"Brother, of course this was a bad idea! Honestly, Winry isn't an idiot; I'm sure she realizes that we look like…" he trailed off for a moment, looking for the right words to use. "That we look like who we _really_ are"

Jack went to reply but Winry and Pinako walked into the room once more. Instead, he walked over to his sibling. "We'll keep this up for now" he whispered sternly and then walked off.

Devon shrugged, obviously unhappy about the whole situation. He walked over next to his older brother and looked to the two Rockbell's.

Pinako looked up at the two young men in front of her; both were more or less of the same stature and the same determination burning in their eyes as the Elric's had. Huffing out a breath, she finally decided to speak.

"Hello" was all she muttered.

"Hello, Mrs. Rockbell" Jack perked up politely. "My name is Jack Hanson" he introduced himself. "And this is my younger brother, Devon" he stated, pointing to his sibling.

Devon smiled and nodded kindly. "Hello" he greeted.

Pinako grinned at them. "Welcome to Resembol!" she said cheerfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you both!" she noted how certain nervousness seemed to be lifted off the Hanson's shoulders.

"Winry, I'm going to go prepare dinner; please give the two a tour of our home" Pinako insisted and walked off towards the kitchen, leaving the three teens slightly dumbstruck.

"Um…OK" Winry agreed, obviously confused.

Jack cleared his throat loudly, hoping to get Winry back in her train of thought.

She snapped her head back to them and smiled. "Well…let's just get started, shall we?" she said to them and began leading them around the home.

She leaded the two through the living room; that had not lasted long, seeing as the two Hanson's had already been in there for a while and most likely had seen where everything was.

Winry had then taken the two upstairs. They were looking through all the bedrooms. She had just shown him Pinako's room, which was at the right end of the hall; up next was…

"This is…" she trailed off for a moment, sadly remembering the one's who had resided in the two bedrooms that were next to each other in the center of the hallway. "This _was_ Edward's room; next to his was Alphonse's room…" she turned to them.

"See, when they were younger, they burned down their home…after that they, they had nowhere to go if they ever needed to come back…they would sleep here" she explained.

"Boys, Winry, dinner is ready!" Pinako called out from downstairs. The three shot their heads to the staircase.

"We should head downstairs" Winry stated. Devon and she began walking downstairs as Jack stayed in front of Edward's—his—old room.

"Jack? Dinner?" Winry asked before going downstairs.

Jack looked over at her. "Um…mind if I look through my—Edward's old room?" he asked, faltering quickly once more.

Winry noticed his quick hesitation and gave him an odd look. She brushed it off and shook her head. "Of course; just don't take too long, 'K?" she asked of him.

Jack agreed and she walked downstairs.

The black-haired teen then turned back to the room in front of him. Carefully, he walked in and switched on the light.

A small bed lay off to the right side of the white-painted room. To balance the room out, a desk was against the left wall of the square-shaped room. In the wall ahead was a window and, next to it, was a dresser.

It was the same; exactly the same.

His mind suddenly replayed what Winry had said in the hallway; _they had nowhere to go. _

_Of course we had somewhere to go _he thought sadly._ I was just too blind and stupid to accept that_ his head lowered and his gaze shifted to the ground. _Al was right…this _**is**_ a bad idea…but if I tell Winry, she's gonna kill me and never want to talk to me again_ he thought sorrowfully.

"Jack, c'mon, dinner is ready!" Winry's voice called out.

Jack looked to the door. "Coming!" he replied. The teen began walking to the door. Looking back into the room, he had one last thought. _I think I'd rather have Winry_ **not** _know it's me…_ He began.

_Than never speak to her again…_ With that, he switched off the light to his former room and walked off downstairs.

F----------------M----------------A

When he reached the lower part of the house, the square table was set for four. Pinako was sitting, as was Devon.

Winry was placing a few extra bowls and plates filled with food on the table. She looked to the elder Hanson and smiled. "Dinner is served" she stated humorously.

The onyx-haired Alchemist smiled, contently, at her and carefully walked over and took his seat.

Winry sat in the last chair; incidentally, it was the one next to Jack's.

They group of four served themselves and began eating the delicious meal of rice and chicken.

Conversation bustled between them, as did a few laughs and giggles. Jack and Devon occasionally struggled with a few questions that were tossed around such as 'where did you two live before?' And 'why choose Resembol?'.

To the first one, they had replied that they 'traveled a lot' and to answer the next question they explained that they 'heard it was calming and relaxing' in Resembol and thought about settling down finally in a nice place that wasn't 'the loud annoying streets of a big city'.

Winry, throughout most of the dinner, noted that Jack rarely made eye contact with her.

She wondered why.

Jack would smile at her occasionally, avoiding eye contact in order to refrain from breaking down and letting the cat out of the bag.

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N: **I can't really say a lot :P please R&R, constructive criticism, no flames :) thanks!


	5. A Cruel Coincidence

_**I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You**_

**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own FMA In Anyway.

**Rating:** PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N:** :)

F----------------M----------------A

That night, the Hanson's had stayed in the Rockbell home for the night; they had no furniture in their home, therefore, they couldn't refuse when Pinako had offered.

Pinako had gone to sleep.

The three teens were still up; Winry was deciding where to put the two brothers. She had looked all over the house.

Her kind nature denied them of sleeping on the couch.

She certainly couldn't leave them in the basement; it got _way_ too hot.

The same went for the attic upstairs.

The only thing left was…

"The Elric's room" Winry decided, unwillingly. "They're the only rooms left in the house" she stated.

The two Hanson's nodded slightly. They looked at each other, both asking the same question in their minds; _who talks first?_

Jack turned back to Winry.

"That's fine" he agreed.

Winry forced a small smile and led them back to the two rooms. "You're free to choose which you want" she told them.

Jack and Devon both swallowed minor lumps in their throats before walking into the rooms. Devon to Al's—his—old room and Jack to Ed's—his—old room.

Winry found it a little _too_ coincidental that Jack, who looked like Ed, chose Ed's room and Devon, who looked like Al, chose Al's room. She tried brushing it off but, like her grandmother, something about the whole situation bothered her.

Jack claimed he knew little to nothing of Edward, yet he _looked_ like him and performed Alchemy the _same exact_ way that Edward did his transmutations; standing upright, legs a little wide apart and, of course, the way he clapped his hands together.

She became stern, in that moment. The blonde then walked into the elder Hanson's current room; she wanted to find out _exactly_ what rumors Jack had supposedly heard about Edward.

The mechanic walked into the room, practically _glaring_ at the onyx-haired teen. "Jack" it was more of a demand than a question. "We have to talk" again, it was more of a statement than an implication.

Jack looked up at her; he had just sat down on the bed. Thinking quickly, he already had an excuse for not talking. "Not now, Winry, I'm extremely tired"

"Nu-uh, you're not getting away that easy!" Winry said as she stood in front of him, her arms crossed. "I need to ask you something" she informed strictly.

Jack gulped, nervously; _tremendously_ nervously. "OK" it sounded almost like a whimper.

"Jack" Winry began once more. "What 'rumors' have you heard about Edward?" she asked him.

The elder Hanson looked to the ground; what the _hell_ was he going to tell her? Luckily, his quick-witted mind thought up a few phony 'rumors'.

"Well" he started anxiously. "As I was traveling around in Central, I heard he was a Military Dog…Also, that he was dubbed 'Fullmetal Alchemist' due to the Automail limbs he had….I'm not entirely sure which limbs they were but I'm positive it was an arm and leg" he stated.

Winry suddenly interjected. "It was his _left_ leg and _right_ arm, for your information!" she told him harshly.

Jack was slightly taken aback by the outburst. "OK, sheesh!" he complained. "Sue a guy for not knowing" he said angrily.

Winry sighed. "What _else_ have you heard?" she asked him.

The Hanson let out a breath; he _really_ wasn't in the mood for this. He decided to try a new technique; say things about Edward that Winry most likely wouldn't like. He, unwillingly, began listing what her, what he thought were his _worst_ traits.

"I also heard that" his voice had become low and serious. "He performed a Human Transmutation…he lost the limbs and his younger brother's body. Supposedly, he was a stubborn, arrogant little brat. Nobody even liked him that much because he had an anger problem" he said to her, mentally slapping himself across the face for admitting all of that.

Winry's glare toward this young man had only grown worse but she held in her anger.

"The kid was also very much like everyone else; he didn't like anyone, especially if they got in his way" he continued, his voice becoming more and more severe. He finished with one last statement;

"He was a sinner"

Sinner; the word rang through Winry's ears like a broken record.

She finally reached her boiling point.

"Why you" she said heatedly at the teen "You inconsiderate, heartless, self-absorbed, _jerk!_" she yelled at him angrily, no, _furiously!_ "How _dare_ you call him all of that!? How can you say that about such a sweet and generous person!?" she demanded further.

Jack glared at her and the stood up; being a few inches taller than her, he felt he had the more control at the moment. Acting completely on adrenaline rush, he surprised Winry with what he said. "I. Don't. Know. Him" he said, annoyed. "Much less do I care; he's just another person to me"

Winry fierce look grew with more anger and hatred towards the elder. "Ugh! Well, who _cares _what _you _think!? _I _knew Edward and I _know _he's _nothing _of what you've heard!" she informed him angrily.

"They were just rumors! I was never interested in who he really was!" Jack snapped at her.

Winry huffed out a breath. "Right" she said, quietly angry. "But that's not what matters" she said. "It's what other people think that matters" she explained to him, sorrowfully and irate at once.

Jack's eyes widened curiously. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"People think the worst of Edward because of what he's done" Winry began. "They don't take the time to look at their own faults…then, they go around telling everyone what they thought about Ed…and then…all the negative things about him spread and everyone stops caring about him because he's a 'sinner'" the blonde mechanic said sadly.

Jack let her words sink in and he lowered his head.

"That's how an innocent person becomes nothing more than a degenerate nowadays" Winry perked up.

"Good night" she finally had her information; this couldn't possibly be the person she had known since she was a child.

It was nothing more than a sad and cruel coincidence.

She carefully turned on a heel and walked out of the teen's room, closing his door behind her, leaving behind a rather thoughtful and confused Jack behind.

F----------------M----------------A

The next day, Jack and Devon took their leave towards their transmuted home.

Using their own strength and Alchemy, the two were able to paint their house a simple white and furnish the home completely.

They had finished at mid-day; they were exhausted from all the work but were happy to finally have their new home set up.

Now, as they stood in front of the two-story home, a feeling of pride came over them; this would be _their_ home, this would be the start of _their_ new lives.

But…the people who caused the most pain due to memories of sadness and misery lived only a few hundred meters away.

The Rockbell's would not be so easily forgotten.

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N:** OK; chapter 5…it's getting closer to the long awaited end XD I hope you guys are liking it! Please, R&R, constructive criticism, no flames :) thanks!


	6. Never Supposed To Happen

_**I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You**_

**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own FMA In Anyway.

**Rating:** PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N: **Chapter 6! Hope you like:)

F----------------M----------------A

After the Hanson's had made themselves comfortable at their new home, they had avoided the Rockbell's. Contact with them was lost completely after few days.

All they had to reminiscence on were memories, precious and miserable alike.

Jack had luckily acquired a job to pay for anything of theirs, including bills and other necessities.

Devon mostly stayed home or went out to do errands for townspeople; when he stayed home, he would usually clean and cook for himself and his brother.

Days became a week; soon that week turned to a week and a half.

The entire time, Devon would nervously ask his brother if he would consider telling Winry the truth.

Of course, Jack stubbornly refused.

But, soon, certain events would lead to the inevitable; another meeting between the blonde Rockbell mechanic and the elder Hanson brother.

F----------------M----------------A

Currently, it had been a full two weeks and two days since the Rockbell's and Hanson's had spoken to each other. To an oblivious soul of the situation, things in Resembol were at peace; everyday, the Sun shone brightly and the bird's always chirped their happy songs.

To anyone hinted at the situation, they would know that there was nothing but tension between the two relations, even if the two units were clueless to it themselves.

Today started out as an average day; Jack had gone off to work and Devon went with him to find some errands to do. The house was clean and he could cook when he got back home later that day.

For the Rockbell's, the same; Winry opened up her workbench and a few Automail customers stopped by for upgrades and tune-ups. Incidentally, a few customers were sent back home and informed to come back another day; apparently, a few Automail supplies that were ordered earlier that week had yet to be delivered. Luckily, though, the clients understood, saying they would return in a few days.

Later that day, as the Sun was almost completely set, the Hanson's were walking back to their home. Jack was telling his sibling of a few events that occurred that day, as well as Devon to his elder brother.

As they came closer to the two-story home, they noted that a rather large box was sitting atop of their porch, in front of their door. They eyed it curiously before finally standing right over it, inspecting it from the outside.

Further assessment and the two had found out the box was meant for the Rockbell home.

"Must be address confusion" Devon suggested.

"Or lazy postmen" Jack said irately.

Devon's face melted to an annoyed frown. _Brother always thinks the worst of people _he thought, upset.

"Anyway" Jack perked up once more. "I guess I'll take it Winry's house; I'm sure she needs it" he insisted as he bent down and picked the box up in his arms.

"You just want to see what Winry's up to, don't you?" Devon asked, as if it were the most obvious thing.

Jack looked at his younger incredulously, while blushing slightly as well. "NO!" he denied immediately. "It's just…" he trailed off, looking for the right excuse in his mind. "She…she might need it…besides, what the hell do I need it for?" he explained at last as he turned around to not face his sibling.

"Uh-huh, sure, whatever you say, brother" Devon said sarcastically.

"Just, shut up and go make dinner!" Jack demanded as he looked to his younger over his shoulder, blushing deeper than before.

The younger Hanson sighed. "Fine" he agreed. Pulling out his keys, he opened the door and entered their home, closing the door behind him. "Don't be late"

"Got it" Jack agreed.

Once Jack heard the _click_ of the lock, he turned back towards the small steps before the porch and stepped down them, walking down the dirt road to the Rockbell home.

F----------------M----------------A

Once the Hanson reached the light-yellow, two-story home, he sighed anxiously. _Winry_ was the first thing that came into his mind. He scowled at himself; Devon was right, all Jack wanted was to see what Winry was up to. He shook his head, brushing the thoughts away.

The teen sighed as he saw there was nowhere he could place the box. Standing next to the door, he used his metallic elbow to knock on the door, hoping the sound could be heard.

Luckily, it was.

Soon, the door opened to a weary-looking Winry, dressed in a black tank top and black shorts that reached a little lower than her knees.

The girl widened as she saw who was standing in front of her.

Jack was mostly shocked to identify that the shirt she was wearing was one of his own—when he was Edward Elric.

Ultimately, Winry spoke up first. "Jack? What are you doing here?" she asked him nervously.

"Uh" Jack stuttered, finding himself slightly gawking at the fact that Winry wearing _his_ old shirt. He shook his head, brushing the thoughts away. "I, uh, found this on my porch when my little brother and I got home today; the stamp on it says it was supposed to come to 'Rockbell Residence'. I…figured I'd bring it to you, seeing as I can't use it for anything" he explained to the girl, some apprehensiveness implicated in his voice.

Winry placed a hand over the box, indicating Jack lower it so that she could investigate.

Jack obliged and Winry confirmed what he had told her.

"I'm glad you brought this" the mechanic said thankfully. "I ordered these earlier this week; I was wondering where they had gone" she said humorously and then laughed slightly, as well.

Her adorable laugh, though slight, made Jack smile at her.

"I'll just take these off your hands" Winry insisted, as she went to take the box from him.

Jack pulled back. "Please" he said. "Allow me; it's kinda heavy anyway" he told her.

Winry smiled politely. "Come in" she said, opening the door wider so that the Alchemist could step in.

Jack smiled kindly at her.

Winry's eyes widened at his smile; in a flash, she had seen Edward with the same smile in her mind. Then, she dropped back into reality; this wasn't Edward smiling at her; it was just Jack.

The Hanson stepped in. It was a little dark; he suspected the Rockbell was probably getting ready to go to bed.

The blonde mechanic swept away her minor flash and closed the door.

"Where should I put this?" Jack asked suddenly.

Winry looked up at him. "Uh…c'mon" she said as she walked in front of him. "I'll lead you to my workbench; you can leave it there" she told him.

Jack nodded and followed Winry to her workbench. Once there, he placed the package on the ground. "There" Jack said, rubbing his hands together to remove any dust or dirt. He looked over at Winry. "I'll guess I'll head home now; Devon's making dinner and I don't want to make him wait too long"

The blonde, mechanic immediately frowned. "Please" she pleaded. "Stay a while; I want to talk for a little bit" she insisted.

Jack widened his eyes curiously. "What?" he said unbelievably. "But…what about…what I said about that…Edward guy?" he asked, obviously hoping the anger in Winry would build and she'd kick him out.

It didn't work.

Winry _did_ lower her head in thought, though. "It's OK" she told him. "You didn't know Ed; I'm sure you wouldn't mean it of you _had_ known him" she informed kindly.

Jack lowered his head slightly. _She's too nice for her own good_ he thought anxiously. Nonetheless, the two walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Winry turned on a lamp to lighten the darkened room.

It was silent, for only a moment though.

"Why didn't you come back?" Winry asked sadly.

Jack looked up at her. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"After that night that you stayed here…you never came back again" the blonde mechanic explained to him.

Jack lowered his head, his solid black hair creating a shadow over his eyes.

Winry's eyes widened again; once again, she saw Edward in the same position; his eyes shadowed by his hair. Closing her eyes, she brought her hand up to her forehead, trying to clear the thought away.

Jack looked up at her and then turned worried. "Winry?" he asked fearfully.

"It's nothing" Winry said, pulling her hand away and looking at him.

"Winry" Jack said lowly. "I haven't come back because…" he trailed off for a moment. "Because…I've just been kinda busy, that's all" he explained. "And…" he added. "I was kinda afraid you hated me for what I said about your friend"

Winry sighed. "I _was_ upset about it" she told him. "But…I told myself that you didn't know him and had only heard stuff" she explained to him. "So you're off the hook" she teased, smiling slightly at him.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"I guess" Winry began once more. "I saw too much of Edward in you" she explained. "I really miss him…I guess that, when I first met you…by some odd miracle" her voice trailed off for a moment. "You'd be him or something…"

Jack sighed. "You know, you're not the only one whose lost a good friend" he began, acting completely on feelings of sympathy towards the blonde.

Winry looked up at him curiously. "What…do you mean?" the mechanic asked.

The Alchemist, sitting in front of her, quickly thought of something before replying. "I…was…sort of like that Edward guy" he began. "I used to always keep to myself and keep feelings bottled up" he explained to the girl.

Winry continued listening silently.

"I knew this girl" Jack continued. "She was…my best friend, I guess you could say. We used to talk to each other…but then…things went wrong and I started to be less open towards her than before" he informed. "You actually look a lot like her" the Alchemist told the mechanic.

Winry widened her eyes slightly but said nothing and waited.

Sighing again, the elder Hanson continued. "I…tried…I really tried to keep a steady relationship with her but…" his voice became low and somewhat sad. "But…we drifted…she finally snapped and stopped talking to me…I haven't seen her since I moved" he lied convincingly.

The blonde mechanic placed her hands together over her knees. "I'm so sorry" she told him apologetically.

"It was my fault" Jack told her. "I should've seen it coming; especially with the way I treated her"

Winry gently forced the Jack to look at her by placing her hand on his chin. When her azure eyes met with his hazel ones, she began bringing her face closer to his. Ever so softly, she kissed his right cheek comfortingly.

"It's OK" the mechanic whispered kindly as she slowly pulled away.

Jack's cheeks tinted with pink and he brought his right hand to his kissed cheek. "Hmm" he smiled at Winry once more. "I know it is" he said, bringing his own face closer to hers now.

Winry's eyes expanded again and she pulled back faintly. "Jack, I"—"Winry" the Hanson interrupted. "Just do what comes naturally" he whispered sweetly.

The mechanic's blush deepened but she took the young man's advice.

Leaving their eyes only half-lidded, they commenced, slowly, towards each other once more.

With their lips only millimeters away from touching, Winry had one last thought;

_I have to let go _in that moment, they pulled each other into a loving kiss.

Closing their eyes completely, the kiss intensified; Winry wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and he wrapped his own arms around the mechanic's back, bringing her closer to him.

The muscles in Winry's body went completely loose and she fell back onto the couch, the Hanson laying over her and continuing to kiss her affectionately.

The blonde then noted the confidence this young man had; he immediately strengthened their kiss and began running his right hand along her body passionately.

The confidence somewhat scared her but she allowed him, nonetheless.

Parting his lips away, Jack began leaving a hot trail of kisses along her neck down to her collarbone.

Winry ran her finger's through his hair, letting it fall over his shoulder and onto her somewhat. Lovingly, she rubbed her cheek up against his.

"…Jack…" she whispered, so loving, so tender, and so passionate.

Jack's eyes widened in the moment she said his name. That was just the problem, though; she his name—his _fake_ name. Caught up in the adrenaline of the moment, he had almost forgotten that was no longer Edward.

He was Jack Hanson; _not_ Edward Elric. He longed for Winry to whisper his _true_ name; not the name of the phony man he had created.

_No…_he thought sadly. He shot up, breathing heavily and nervously. His eyes widened further as he looked down to the woman below him. "Shit, Winry, I-I have to go!" he stuttered nervously, getting off of the mechanic abruptly after and heading for the door.

Winry sat up. "Jack" she practically pleaded as she stood up and followed him. Grabbing his right arm, she pulled him back into her view, also taking notice of how stiff his arm was. "What's wrong?" she asked fearfully.

Jack looked down at her, sadly. "Winry…I'm sorry…but…this was never supposed to happen; it was an accident and I'm sorry!" he told her anxiously.

Winry's eyes widened sorrowfully and shocked at once. "What? What do you mean?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry, Win, I really am!" he pulled away from her, their hands touching and his white glove slipping off his Automail hand. He opened the front door and ran towards his own home, not wanting to look back. _Ever. _

Winry watched, wretchedly, as the man she had been kissing moments ago, now ran away from her, leaving nothing but a white glove in her hand.

Incidentally, she also noticed how his right hand shone in the light of the rising moon above.

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N: **OMG!!! ONOZ!!! DRAMA!!! .-. O.O o-o

Anyway, please R&R, constructive criticism, no flames :) thanks! By the way, please excuse the slightly late update; school got me on this one. .-. Also excuse the length -laughs edgily- Nonetheless, hope you like! ;)


	7. Bittersweet Remorse

_**I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You**_

**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own FMA In Anyway.

**Rating:** PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N: **YamiChi from DA! This chapter is dedicated to you! I hope you like it! ;)

F----------------M----------------A

When Jack finally reached the door of his home, he placed his right hand to his forehead. He took note of how cold it was and brought it to the front of his face. He sighed as he saw no glove to hide his Automail.

_Automail…_he thought sadly. Looking down at the metallic palm, Winry, once again, poured into his mind. He wrapped his flesh hand around his metallic wrist, holding it tightly.

_Wait a minute..._the Alchemist thought nervously. _Where the hell's my glove?_ He asked himself. Thinking back, he suddenly remembered that Winry had been holding his hand before he left. He immediately realized that his glove must've slipped off.

Being a metallic arm, it came as no surprise. But, that wasn't what worried him. What worried him was…

_What if Winry saw my arm?_

F----------------M----------------A

The next morning, Jack was the first to awake. He dressed into his usual clothes; white button shirt, brown pants, vest and shoes, and walked into the kitchen of his home. Not bothering to get his usual cup of coffee, he sat down on a stool which sat in front of the counter he would sit in front of to eat.

This morning, he didn't have to go to work, nor did he currently have an appetite. His thoughts were clouded with the events of last night.

_I kissed Winry _

He placed his flesh hand over his Automail arm, squeezing it tightly.

_I kissed Winry _

He held his metal arm securely, he hoped to seek some comfort from the arm; it _was_ Winry's creation. Just knowing that gave him reassurance…and also remorse and regret.

Sighing to himself, he lowered his head slightly, strands of his black hair falling over his hazel eyes.

Unexpectedly, he began hearing footsteps coming down the stairs. Getting off his train of thought, he looked up to see his younger brother.

As Devon stepped down the last step, he looked to his elder and became worried at the teens appearance; stress lines below his eyes and worriment written all over his saddened face. "Brother?" he finally asked worriedly.

Jack stayed silent as he looked to the ground, tightening the grip on his Automail.

It stayed silent for what felt like an eternity…before Jack spoke, making an incredible decision.

"I'm gonna tell her" he said as he looked up once more.

Devon's eyes widened. "What?" he asked, hoping his brother meant what he thought he meant.

"I'm going to tell Winry, Al…I can't lie to her like this anymore" Jack replied. "I thought I was protecting her by letting her think that I never came back…But I'm realizing that I'm only causing her more pain this way" he admitted reluctantly.

Devon's eyes widened even more. "You want me to come along?" he offered, thinking his presence would make the confession easier for his older brother and Winry.

"No" the elder replied. "I have to do this myself; Winry deserves that much from me" with that being said, he stood up and stepped upstairs once more. Walking down the hall, into the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror.

Jack Hanson was who he saw before him.

Edward Elric was who he would become.

He filled the sink with water about halfway. Then, he pulled his long, black-dyed hair over his shoulder and bent down, dipping the tip of his hair into the water. Carefully, he clapped his hands together and placed them on his head.

In seconds, he began to see his onyx hair transform into its original color; gold.

The water began to turn the color of his dye; a dark black.

Once the sound of the transmutation was gone, he pulled his head away, squeezing the little bit of water from his hair. Standing upright, he looked at himself in the mirror. He drained the water out and looked at himself more closely.

_Just one more adjustment _he thought.

The Alchemist carefully closed his eyes and clapped his hands together, afterwards placing his fingers on the side of his forehead. He felt the electrifying shock sensation hit his eyes as he scrunched his face slightly out of minor pain.

When it was complete, the teen warily opened his eyes. His reflection made him smile; he was the one and only, Edward Elric. He looked around the bathroom; in the medicine cabinet, he found what he was looking for; a small, black, stretchy band.

Pulling his hair back into a high ponytail, just how he had it in Munich, he tied it securely with the band as the finishing touch.

His identity was finally returned; his golden hair was as stunning as ever and his matching eyes had even more fire burning within them.

He was the handsome Edward Elric.

The Alchemist sighed. _OK_ he thought anxiously._ Winry's next_

The elder Elric quickly stepped back downstairs.

Devon, who was at the counter drinking a glass of milk, widened his eyes when he saw his brother stepping down the stairs. He stood up and walked up to him, jaw dropped. "Brother?" he asked.

Edward smiled at his sibling and blushed, looking away. "How do I look?"

Devon smiled back at him. "Like Edward Elric" he walked next to him, placing an encouraging hand on his shoulder. Nodding his head towards the front door, he smiled.

"Go to Winry; she's been missing us for too long" Ed smirked at his younger brother's encouragement.

"I know"

F----------------M----------------A

(**A/N: **The following scene is credited to YamiChi from DeviantART. YamiChi, also known as _Chiyo Ishida_ here FF. NET on I hope you enjoy!)

Winry had awoken that morning in an anxious state of mind. The events of last night continued to replay themselves out in her head.

She decided to go out and work on her Automail design she had yet to finish. She was currently sitting next to a river that was somewhere near her home. Sitting cross-legged, she had the paper design she had been working on a piece of wood, to be able to write properly, with the paper atop of it.

Seeing the design reminded her of her old friend, Edward.

It also made her wonder about Jack.

_Why did his hand shine like that last night?_ She asked herself nervously. _Does…does he have Automail…like Ed?_ The mechanic wondered. She shook her head, brushing the thought away. _Not like it matters; after what happened last night…I don't think I'll ever see Jack again, either. _

She sighed and forced herself to continue her current task at hand.

So caught up in her work, she became deaf to events around her; including that of footsteps coming closer to her.

F----------------M----------------A

Edward was now, nervously, taking steps toward the Rockbell girl. She hadn't even taken notice of his steps which crunched grass under each stride. Quietly, he took in a small breath and set it free. _This is for you, Win_

Stepping closer, he swallowed several lumps that were forming in his throat.

Winry paused for a moment in her work. Placing her pencil in her hair, she looked at her reflection in the water before her; in her opinion, she looked very pretty. Her azure eyes were cheerful and welcoming; her bright yellow hair, which was picked up in a clip except for the hair at the sides of her beautiful face, was shining brightly from the Sun.

She looked the very opposite of what she felt; like crap.

Jack kept sneaking his way back into her thoughts; his kiss from last night was so sweet and full of nothing more that love and passion.

Yet, she could never forget Edward. Though she had never kissed him, he_ was_ her best friend and first love; her first generous but rough love. She smiled humorously as she remembered the Elric's attitude.

Looking to her reflection, she noticed another shape beginning to form behind her. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

After a few more steps, the reflection of this other soul took a final shape as he had stopped. Her eyes widened at the person; he had golden hair tied back in a high ponytail, matching golden eyes that burned like fire with determination and compassion.

This was none other than Edward Elric.

_Am I losing my mind?_ She asked herself, thinking this was nothing more than a cruel trick of her confused mind. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, looking back to the reflection; he was still standing there. _Dare I look behind me?_ She asked her herself.

She stood still for a moment, wondering whether or not this was a dream or reality.

"C'mon, Win, you didn't forget about already, did you?" Winry's eyes widened as the figure finally spoke, with a playful tone to his voice, she might add.

Carefully, the Rockbell looked over her shoulder, only to see that this was no dream. "Edward? I-is it r-really you?" she asked him nervously.

The Elric smiled and nodded at her. "Of course, Winry" he teased. "Who else could I be?"

Winry went to stand up but stopped as Ed's Automail came into her view. She looked up at his smiling face.

"Need a hand?" the Alchemist offered jokingly.

Winry blushed and placed her hand in his.

The elder Elric gently tightened his grip on her hand and pulled the Rockbell to her feet. Unintentionally, Winry accidentally tripped, as she was finally on her feet, causing her to fall towards him. Luckily, the Elric caught her in his arms and kept them standing.

"Not as steady as before, are you?" Ed teased with her as he smiled.

Winry laughed quietly. "I guess not" she replied playfully.

Ed's smile faded into a frown and he pulled Winry into a tight hug.

Winry was surprised by the act and tried to move away but Ed tightened his grip around her, not allowing her to pull away from him.

With her hands on his chest and her head now next to his, just above his shoulder, she looked at him through the corner of her eye. "Edward, what's gotten into you?" she asked worriedly. She noted that his shoulders tensed at her question, and he drove his fingers into her back.

"I…just missed you, Winry" he replied finally.

Winry swore she saw a small crystalline tear roll down his cheek. "You're crying" she stated quietly.

"I am not!" Ed snapped stubbornly and prideful as he buried his, slightly damp, cheek into Winry's hair.

The Rockbell smiled. _Same Edward as always_ she thought, contentedly and humorously at once.

She, herself, now buried her face into the crook of his warm neck. "I missed you too, Ed" she brought her arms around his back and held onto him as if holding on for dear life. "I always missed you" she told him and, unexpectedly, began crying quietly.

As soon as Ed felt the skin at his neck moisten, he pulled away and looked to Winry worriedly. "What's wrong, Win? Is it something I did? If it's for leaving you, Winry, I'm sorry; I didn't want to leave, I swear! Oh, please Winry, don't cry!" the elder Elric, hating to see the girl he held so closely cry, pleaded and apologized nervously.

Winry laughed quietly at Ed's anxiousness. "It's OK" she told him. "I'm just happy to see you" she looked up at him, her cheeks tear-streaked but her lips in a happy and thankful smile.

Ed's face stayed confused and fearful. Eventually, it melted and he smiled once more. He held his arms out to his sides, indicating an offer of another free hug.

Winry smiled and took the offer without hesitation. "What's gotten into you?" she asked. "It used to be so hard to touch you, much less _hug_ you" she teased.

Edward held her tighter, unsure of how to reply. What _had_ gotten into him?

"I really don't know" he said unwillingly.

Winry laughed more and pulled away, smiling and keeping her arms around him. "Maybe the great Edward Elric has grown even more" she said amusingly.

Ed chuckled quietly. "Yes…perhaps I have" he teased in return.

"Where's Al?" Winry asked suddenly.

"You'll be able to see him soon" Ed replied.

"Is something wrong? Is he OK? What happened?" the Rockbell asked nervously.

"He's fine, don't worry" the blonde Alchemist reassured.

Winry nodded and pulled him closer, smiling, lovingly, at him.

Ed's joking attitude left him and he blushed.

"Ed" the Rockbell whispered sweetly. "I have to tell you something" she brushed a few strands of hair away from the Elric's eyes, which only fell back in place.

Ed sighed sadly. "Me too" he admitted miserably as he looked away anxiously. Abruptly, he felt Winry's soft hand come to his left cheek, forcing him to look at her once more.

"Me first" the Rockbell mechanic said softly. She slowly brought her face closer to his.

Ed slowly returned this by doing the same.

Once their lips were mere millimeters away, the two blondes looked at each other, affectionately, with half-lidded eyes.

Finally, they pulled their lips together, taking in each other's sweet taste and exploring each other as much as they could.

Winry noted certain similarities between Ed and Jack's kiss; they were both extremely passionate, and were both very willing and confident when 'exploring'.

She pulled away, quickly, and placed her fingers on her lips. _Why do they_ **both** _kiss so…_**similarly? **She asked herself apprehensively.

Ed frowned at the sudden loss in pleasure and looked to Winry, confused. "Win?" he asked her uneasily. "What's wrong?"

Winry stayed silent for a moment and then looked up at him. "Jack?" she whispered.

Ed's eyes widened fretfully. "Wha-what did you call me?" he stuttered; had she figured him out by…his _kiss_?

Winry shook her head and looked away. "It's nothing" she lied, bringing a hand to her forehead.

The elder Elric sighed. "It _is_ something" he stated. "Winry…what I have to tell you…I…" he stopped and swallowed a major lump in his throat.

"Ed, what's wrong?" she asked him.

The Alchemist let his shoulders drop, defeated, before responding. "I…I'm not sure how to tell you this…and I'm afraid that, when I tell you…you won't want to see me ever again" he said fearfully.

Winry brought her hand to his right cheek and looked him in the eyes. "Why would I never want to see you again, Ed? I…I love you"

Ed blushed a deeper crimson than before. He brought his Automail palm, carefully, over Winry's hand and rubbed his cheek against it. "I…love you too, Win…more than words could ever say…" he smiled as he said it but it reversed to a frown once more. "But…this may shock you and most likely will"

Winry pulled her hand away and hugged him, placing her head on his right shoulder. "Try me" she challenged.

The Elric Alchemist sighed and placed his hands around her waist, placing his head over hers. "Winry" he began.

"_I'm_ Jack Hanson"

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N: **Dun dun DUN! XD -Chants- _he told her, he told her! _HA! Take _that!_ I bet _all _of you are wondering what's gonna happen next, eh? Well, you'll just have to wait! ;) Anyway, please, R&R, constructive criticism, no flames :) thanks!

BTW, just so everyone knows, next chapter will most likely be a little short :P Yes, I'm actually telling you :\

Another BTW, YamiChi; I _really_ hope you liked the chapter and are enjoying the story! ;)


	8. I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You

_**I'm on the Down Low Because I Love You**_

**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own FMA In Anyway.

**Rating:** PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N: **Chapter 8 :) I hope everyone likes it! ;)

**WARNING: **_Major _fluff content! ;)

F----------------M----------------A

The black part of Winry's eyes reduced to the diameter of an _extremely _small spec of dust.

_What?_ Was the only thing that could be conjured up in her thoughts; she decided to voice her thoughts, more furiously though.

"_What!!??_" the blonde mechanic _demanded_ as she pulled herself away from the Elric and glared at him with nothing but pure hatred and rage burning in her eyes.

"Winry, control yourself now; you don't want to do anything irrational, now do you?" Ed asked as he smiled at the blonde edgily.

Winry took in a deep breath and seemingly calmed herself. "You're right, Ed" she told the Alchemist, looking at him with slight lust in her eyes.

Ed's eyed her confusedly and nervously at once as he began blushing.

The mechanic stepped closer to him, soon being only inches away from his body. She looked up at him, still with the lust in her eyes.

Taking a step back, she pulled back her right hand and slapped the Elric across his bewildered face.

The blonde Alchemist kept his head looking to his side, shocked by the motion of the Rockbell. His cheek began to turn red and began stinging as well but it was as if he didn't even feel it, too shocked to really do so.

"_You_ kissed me! And, all those things you said about yourself; do you honestly feel that way about yourself, Ed? That you're a 'sinner' and nothing more than a hateful brat!?" she demanded from him.

"And…and I got mad at _you_ that night…Edward what kind of _idiot_ are you!!?? What were you _thinking_ disguising yourself as someone else!?" the mechanic ordered as she glared at him, her face slightly red from anger.

Ed blinked a few times and shook his head, finally sensing the pain of his cheek. He turned his head back towards her and put a hand to his cheek. "I was thinking that, if _you_ thought that Edward Elric had never come back, I'd be protecting you and cause you less pain" he explained, sadly, as he rubbed his somewhat swollen cheek.

Winry's eyes widened curiously. "Protect me?" she asked. "Cause me less pain? Ed, what're you talking about?" she interrogated.

The elder Elric sighed and looked to the woman he loved. "Winry, I know how much pain I caused you when I was a Dog of the Military; always leaving and making you worry, only coming when I needed repairs…I _never_ wanted you to feel like that again, Win…I didn't want my face to cause anymore tears…turns out, that didn't work so well" he told her. "I was on the down low because I love you, Win. And…" he trailed off for a moment.

"I didn't want you to cry anymore"

Winry looked at him in wide-eyed amazement. Her eyes became stern and she walked past him, standing a few feet behind him. She crossed her arms and looked to the ground. Her eyes softened as she let the teens words sink in.

_He…just didn't want me to feel so sad anymore_ she understood. She hugged herself tightly.

"Winry?" Ed's voice suddenly mumbled quietly.

"Yeah, Ed?" Winry replied, refusing to turn around and face him.

"Do you hate me for what I've done? For causing you even more pain?" the Alchemist questioned.

"Because I understand if you do"

It stayed silent. When Ed heard no response from the Rockbell, he realized his worst fear may have come to reality; Winry hated him. He looked down, his golden bangs covering over his eyes.

"You loved Jack's confidence…not Edward's shyness, didn't you?" he asked her quietly.

"How could you think that, Ed?" Winry asked suddenly and the Alchemist shot his head up with wide eyes. The blonde mechanic turned around finally and walked up in front of him. Placing her hand on his reddened cheek, she looked him in the eye.

"How could you think that your face would cause me pain? And Jack's confidence made me nervous"

Ed averted his gaze away, unsure of how to answer her question and of what to say.

"Look at me" Winry requested quietly.

Of course, the Elric obliged. "Memories" he replied finally.

The Rockbell understood with no further explanation; Ed was afraid he would cause Winry to remember all the pain she had been through with him. "I missed you too much to care about that, Ed" she confided to him.

"I cared about _you_; I was so worried each day that something terrible had happened to you or Al…I would've given up everything just to see _you_ again" she told him, tears forming in her beautiful ocean-blue eyes. "That would've been Equalivalent Exchange to me"

Ed looked at her sadly and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her as close to him as humanly possible, forcing his fingers into her flesh.

Winry wrapped her own arms around his back, driving her nails into his back as well.

"It may have only been four months and a few weeks, Win, but…" Ed trailed off. "I missed you like hell…I never forgot about you…I even took extra good care of my Automail, just for you" he told her, a sense of pride and happiness in the last phrase.

"I missed you like hell too, Ed" Winry told him and then pulled away, keeping her arms wrapped around his waist. "Now" she said playfully. "About your Automail"

The Alchemist smiled at her and brought up his Automail in front of her.

Winry pulled up his sleeve and investigate the metallic creation. She saw her reflection in the protective plate of the arm and smiled; it was scratched but not severely and, Ed could still move it around, right?

"The damage doesn't seem so bad" the mechanic stated. "You can probably hold onto to this one for a little while longer before you need a new one" she explained.

Ed smiled and, possibly involuntarily, cupped her cheek with his Automail.

Winry held his arm as he brought his hand to her cheek, placing her other hand on his as well. "I missed working on your Automail" she said humorously. She held onto his arm a moment longer before frowning.

"What's wrong Winry?" Ed asked worriedly.

"You're not leaving again, are you? You know, to get your _real_ arm and leg?" the blonde girl asked sadly as she lowered her head slightly.

Ed smiled and shook his head humorously. "Hell no" he replied, gently forcing the blonde to look at him once more. "Automail's good enough for me; _especially_ if it's yours"

The mechanic smiled and pulled the Elric into another tight embrace.

The Alchemist smiled at the gesture and put his hands around her, contentedly. His eyes strayed to the ground, where he saw an abandoned plank of wood and a paper atop of it. "Win, what's that?" he asked curiously.

"What's what?" Winry asked as she pulled away and turned around to see what he meant. Once she saw it, she blushed nervously. "Um…nothing" she replied apprehensively as she pulled away and stopped in front of the lumber and article.

Ed looked at her, curious. "What is it?" he asked as he stepped closer to her.

"Nothing!" Winry replied, quickly, as she brought her hands behind her; she didn't want Ed to get the wrong idea by thinking she may have been obsessing over him.

"Don't make me force it outta you" the Alchemist teased, stepping closer once more.

The Rockbell crossed her arms and looked at him incredulously. "And, how do you expect to do that?" she asked jokingly.

Ed stared at her, lust _obviously_ burning in his golden orbs.

Winry blushed as he began bringing his face closer to hers once more. She quickly questioned on whether or not she should kiss him again. She placed her finger on his lips. "Maybe later, Alchemy Freak" she told him playfully.

An annoyed expression came across Ed's features; he was _really_ hoping to get a chance to kiss her again.

Winry turned around and picked up her belongings. "If you must know" she said, now facing the river she had been sitting in front of. "It's a new Automail design I've been working on" she clarified. She began explaining the ins and outs of the thing.

As she was speaking, she soon felt a metallic arm wrap around her neck and a flesh arm around her waist. Her eyes grew slightly confused and she looked to her side as Ed placed his head down on her shoulder and looked down at the Automail blueprint.

"It looks great, Win" the Elric told her happily.

The Rockbell mechanic smiled and blushed. "I'm…glad you like it" the design was much like Edward's current arm; the only differences were minor, such as the protective plates on the shoulder being reduced to only one instead of two or three. Plus, the weight of the arm would vary, depending on how much the person's natural arm would weigh.

"C'mon, Winry" Ed whispered. "Let's go back to my house; I'm sure Al wants to see you"

The blonde girl looked at him and smiled. She leaned her head closer to his. "Before we go" she told him lovingly. "How about that kiss you were trying to sneak at me earlier?"

Ed said nothing and leaned closer to her. Soon, their lips met in another passionate and tender kiss. Seeing as all problems were cleared, the kiss lasted a little longer than their last one; Winry's soft lips kept Ed hooked and _his_ willingness and confidence kept Winry right where she stood.

All Winry did was bring her arm to the side of his neck, rubbing him adoringly.

When they pulled away finally, they were slightly out of breath and were blushing obsessively.

"You're blushing…" Winry stated, still out of breath.

"Hell, if I'm not, I must be _really_ sick" Ed joked, referring to the heat he felt at his cheeks.

Winry laughed quietly.

The two then pulled away; Winry put an arm around Ed's waist as Ed did the same with her and the two walked in the direction of Ed's home.

"Al and you want a welcome back dinner or something?" the Rockbell mechanic offered.

The Alchemist thought for a moment. "We've been here for two weeks almost. It's a little late, don't you think?" he asked her teasingly.

"_That_ was _your_ fault for not telling me!" Winry protested.

"OK, OK" Ed replied, calming her down. "Dinner…_and_ dessert would be great" he told her happily.

"Hmm, I can't make any pie, though" Winry said. "You guys too old for cookies?" she asked him.

Ed's eyes widened and he began chuckling quietly. Holding Winry tighter, he replied through laughs. "One is _never_ too old for cookies" he told her humorously.

Winry laughed. "OK, why did you laugh?" she asked, still laughing slightly.

Ed shook his head jokingly. "It started when Al and I ended up in Central two weeks ago…"

F----------------M----------------A

When the teens reached Ed's home, Al smiled as he had seen the two were hugging each other in a loving manner.

Winry immediately pulled Al, who had changed his hair and eye color back to their original states, into a tight embrace, telling him how much she had missed him and his brother.

Al replied by saying he had missed her and Pinako as well. The two Elric's quickly gave Winry a tour of their home.

Afterwards, they returned to Winry's home, where Pinako had even become happy to see the two brothers'.

She then threw wrenches at their heads for pulling such a stupid stunt. After conversating further, asking the two Elric's of their exploits on the other side of The Gate and whatnot, the Sun soon was setting.

Soon, they had dinner. Afterwards, when Pinako was baking the cookies, Winry decided to take a thorough look at Ed's Automail.

F----------------M----------------A

As Winry and Ed were in the workbench, Winry inspecting the inside of Ed's arm and Ed with neither shirt nor vest, it was comfortably silent.

Den had her head laying on Ed's knee as the teen pet her behind the ear.

Winry was silently shuffling through the wiring of Ed's arm, making sure everything was in place and that the important nerve wires hadn't been damaged in any way. Covering his arm up once more, the mechanic stood up and sat behind him, now checking the arm port.

Ed closed his eyes and tilted his forward a bit, smiling a tiny smirk as well.

Soon, Winry completed her inspection, telling Ed what she had earlier predicted; he won't need a new arm for a while.

The Alchemist let out a relaxed breath and stood up, as did Winry. He stretched his arms, cracking a few bones in the process, but it relaxed his muscles so he didn't pay any mind to it.

Suddenly, Winry walked up to him and embraced him, pulling their bodies close together.

Ed was confused at first but smiled victoriously afterwards. "What's up now, Win?" he asked, sounding comforting.

With her hands placed on the teen's muscular chest, she looked up at him. "Can't a girl hug the guy she loves without any suspicion?" she teased.

The elder Elric smiled and blushed in response. "Of course" he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her closely.

They stayed like that for a moment or so.

"Well, well, well, what a pretty picture this is" Pinako's voice suddenly said playfully from behind.

The Elric and Rockbell widened their eyes and looked over Ed's shoulder. Ed smiled nervously as Winry buried her blushing face into the Alchemist's chest.

Pinako chuckled humorously. "Dessert's ready, lovebirds" she informed and then left.

"Great, now we get all the 'adorable' pet names that come with being a couple" Ed said sarcastically.

Winry placed her left hand over her lips, hiding her slight laughter. "I'll see you in the kitchen, Ed" she told him, kissing his lips quickly before leaving.

Ed pulled on his shirt and vest, heading to the kitchen afterwards.

The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies filled the blonde's nostrils and he let out a breath. Stepping deeper into the kitchen, he saw his younger sibling at the counter as he just took a generous bite of the cookie he had been given.

Ed looked at him and tried his best to hold back the laughs.

Al looked at him and glared, swallowing the piece of cookie he had bitten. "Shove it!" he muttered irately.

"Alright, alright" Ed agreed as he walked off to find his beloved, chuckling quietly as he left. When he didn't see her in the kitchen, he walked into the living room, seeing Winry sitting on the sofa, nibbling on a cookie. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging her lightly.

Winry laughed somewhat. "Ed, stop that" she said humorously.

The blonde Alchemist slipped his hands off her back and walked in front of the sofa, sitting himself next to the mechanic.

The girl held up a cookie she had been holding on to. "Saved you one" she explained.

Ed took the small baked good and took a bite. He then looked out a nearby window; night was about to overtake Resembol. "Crazy day, huh?" he asked playfully.

Winry looked out the same window. "Yup" she replied, taking a bite of her cookie. She kicked off her white inch-high-heel boots and brought her legs up next to her, resting her head on Ed's chest. "At least you're back" she whispered happily, finishing her cookie.

Ed smiled and rubbed his cheek on her head, eating his cookie as well and soon finishing it.

Al and Pinako, who were eavesdropping from the kitchen, smiled at the two teens in love.

"Took them long enough, if you ask me" Pinako teased, talking low so that only she and Al could hear.

Al nodded to what the elder woman said. "Oh well" he said. "At least they're together _now_"

Pinako agreed. "Better late than never"

The younger Elric, once again, agreed.

They two watchers looked at the couple; they looked like a pair of cats, Al noted. The only difference was that they weren't purring.

The Alchemist and mechanic looked at each other lovingly, both mentally deciding to have one final kissing session before the day was over. They leaned closer, bringing their lips together once more. Eyes closed and the process started all over again.

Pinako and Al had to resist to the urge to 'aw' at them. Instead, taking advantage at the fact that their eyes were closed, they slipped themselves upstairs.

"Ten bucks they're still there tomorrow morning" Pinako teased Al as the reached the second floor.

Al's eyes widened and he looked down at the older woman. "That's not very nice, Aunty Pinako" he said innocently.

"That's what makes it fun" Pinako replied mischievously.

Al grinned and agreed to the seemingly harmless bet.

Meanwhile, Ed watched as his brother and caretaker walked upstairs with an open eye. Closing that eye, he intensified his kiss with Winry and leaned forward.

The mechanic let her legs unfold once more and she fell back, with the Alchemist atop of her.

Parting his lips away, Ed began leaving a hot trail of kisses along her neck down to her collarbone.

Winry ran her fingers through his ponytail.

"…Edward…" she whispered, so loving, so tender, and so passionate.

Ed smiled, letting a hot breath onto Winry's neck. Then, he kissed her neck once more; a kiss that meant one thing and one thing only:

_Thank you. _

F----------------M----------------A

The next morning, just as Pinako had predicted, Ed and Winry were still lying on the sofa, with Winry atop of Ed, though. The Alchemist had his Automail arm wrapped around the girl's waist and the Rockbell mechanic had her arms folded beneath her and her head lying cozily over his chest.

Two people and one dream of love…

Dream realized.

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N:** Aww :3 So cute! ;) Anyone who notices a few similarities in the last kiss, I did that because, well…it's kinda like showing that the two kisses, Jack's and then Ed's, were alike because it was the same person :) Any who, please, R&R, constructive criticism, no flames :) thanks!

I hope you all liked the story! And, sorry for the lengthiness -nervous grin- ;) Anyway, this Story is _Complete!_


End file.
